Motor-vehicle construction



July 24 192% 1,677,917

' D. F. DQMBZK MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 7, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 1 attozwug July 24, 1928. V 1,677,917

I D. F. DQMIZI MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 7, 1927 sShegts-Sheet 2 July 24, 192-8. 7 I

' D. F. DOMIZI MOTOR VEHICLE- CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. '7 1927- 3Sheets-Sheet 3 4 gmmtoc duly 24%, 1.328.

DAVID E. DOMIZI, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

RELAY MOTOR PRODUCTS CORPORATION,

RATION OF DELAWARE.

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMETTTS, TO 01? BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ACORPO- MOTOR-VEHICLE cons'rnucrron.

Application filed. January 7, 1927. Serial No. 159,597.

-My invention relates to improvements in .driving and braking vehicleswherein the driving or retarding the driving road wheels in addition tosuch action normally obtained from the vehicles source of motlve. power.My invention more specifically deals w1th the mounting of the loadcarrying member around the axle drive shafts which: latter are eccentricto and below the centers of the road whegls, thus eliminating a centerload carrying axle and inverting the usual wheel hubs and supportingsuch spindles in antifriction bearings carried by a housing which isintegral with the eccentrically disposed load carrying member which inturn surrounds the axle drive shafts. In this invention, the vehiclesprings are seated on a housing which surrounds the load carryingmemberwith anti-friction bearings interposed between the load carrying memberand the housing, thus reducing to a minimum any frictional tendency tooppose or delay the effect of the vehicle load in assisting the drivingwheels over an obstruction, or in assisting the braking action. Thisinvention also includes a means for operating the wheel brakingmechanism, permitting the swinging and climbing of the entireconstruction in its normal functioning without modifying the brakeoperating pressures.

- Cushioned stops limit the climbing action at predetermined points.With the above and other objects in view,

my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and constructionof the various elements of my improved device as described ,in thespecification, claimed in my claims and shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which: a

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation in section of. one end of the rear axle andwheel construction.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of one end of the rear axle in conjunctionwith the rear end of the vehicle frame, the load spring being cut awayto disclose brake operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rear portion of the vehicle chassiswith a wheel removed and'the axle and frame cut away to disclose brakeoperating mechanism and limit stops.

Fig. 4 is a sec Ion of brake operating cable housing; v u

In the drawings, ,11 is the driving wheel 'hub, to which is attached thewheel body 12 by means of-the studs 13, nuts 14, annular ring 15 andnuts 16. On the wheel body 12 is mounted the tire rim 17 to whichis at-vtached the tire 18 in any conventional man-.

'ner. This combination permits the removal of the wheel body 12, rim 17and tire 18 as a unit without disturbing the hub 11, by

merely removin the nuts 16 and ring 15. The spindle 19 1s secured in thehub 11. by drawing up on the taper 20 by means of thenut 21 threaded onthe end of the spindle 19.

Thespider 22is rigidly attached to the hub 5 11 by the studs'25, nuts 26and lockwashers 27 An internal gear ring 23 is attached to the spider 22by a series of rivets 24, thus permitting the gear ring 23 to be made ofa different material from the spider 22, also making replacement of thering 23 possible without replacing the balance of the associated parts.The spindle 19 is carried by the antifriction bearings 31 and 32 mountedin'the housing 33 and held in spaced relation by the shoulders 34 and 34The bearings 31 and 32 are adjusted with relation to each other by meansof the nut 35 and collar'36. The opening through which adjusting nut 35is operated-is closedby the dust cap 37 which is bolted to the case 33by the bolts 38 and serves to prevent entrance of dust and dirt into thehousing 33 into contact with the bearings 31'and32, as well as anotherpurpose described later. The brake drum 39 is secured .to the hub 11 bythe same studs 13 and nuts 14 which hold the .wheel body 12 t0 the hub11.

Attached to the housing 33 by the rivets plate 30 serves to form agrease retaining housing about the ring gear 23 and the spider 22.Attached to the casing 29 by means of the rivets 40 is the brake anchor41. Any brake reaction received by the brake band 42 when brought incontact with the brake drum 39, is imparted in turn to the housing 33.Braking action is produced by pullin on the brake lever 43 and thusrotating t e shaft M to which is attached the shoe expandin cam as Thebrake shaft 44: is supports in the swinging bracket 46 which pivots onthe in 47 which in turn is supported in the brac et 48 that is rivetedto the casing 29 by the rivets 49. Thus it will be seen that the brakeanchorage and operating means are both attached to the same" element(29) which itself is rigidly attached to the main housing 33.

In the lower portion of the housing 33 is mounted the drive shaft 50through the medium of the antifriction bearing 51 which is locatedlaterally by the shoulder 52 and the driving pinion 53, the latter beingsplined to thedrive'shaft 50 and secured thereto by the'nut 54 andcotter 55. .The construction at the opposite end of the axle isidentical with this just described, the two driving shafts beingoperated from the vehicle engine and transmission by the propeller shaft80 through a differential mechanism around thedifl'erential mechanismand its carrier (not shown). I a Borne upon the: sleeve-portion 56 ofthe housing 33 is an antifriction bearing 57 sup- .porting the mainhousing 58 with .its inte'gral s ring seats 60 to which are ri 'dlyattache the load springs 59. A dup icate structure ispresent on theopposite end of the axle and the housin 58 serves as an enclosure forand supporting the main driving 'gears, differential and associatedparts (not shown) of conventional desi 1 In line with the body'of thecover 37, the housing 58 carries limit stops 61 with in, sertedrubberblocks 62. The leaf springs 59 are connected to the chassis frame 63 attheir front ends by. the pins 64' carried in the brackets '65 thustransferring any for- Ward thrust of the springs to the frame.

.The rear ends of the leaf springs 59 are connected to the chassis frame63- through the shackles 66 carried in the brackets 67, thus -alIowing,for elongation of the springs occasioned by their deflection. It

will be noted that any axial rotation of the housing 58 is prevented by-the leaf springs through their rigid connection with the housing andtheir connection with the chassis frame just described.

Across the chassis frame just forwardof the rear axle is the brake shaft68 supportedinthe brackets-70 and carrying the brake levers 69,.one oneach side of the vehicle.

' intact? Attachedto one of the levers 69 is a pull rod (not shown) thatextends forward and connects with a foot pedal or hand lever within theoperators control. Operating either the foot pedal or hand lever causesthe brake shaft 68 to be rotated on its axis'thus swinging the levers69. Connected to the lever 69 is a flexible cable 71 carriedin aflexible casing 72. The other end of this flexible cable is attached tothe brake lever 43. The v flexible casing 72 is made up of a series ofannular shaped blocks 73 covered by the spiral wire 74: which holds themin contact with each other. Theblocks 73- are so shaped that the entireassembly can be bent into various positions without binding the cable 71passing-throughthe holes in the,

blocks. The first one of the blocks 73 is secured in the bracket 75which is attached to the chassis frame, and the last block is secured inthe bracket 76' that is riveted to the housing 29 by the rivets 77-. Asshown,

this flexible casing takes the form of a sweeping curvefrom itsattachment in the chassis frame to its connection to-the wheel housing.To keep it in this sweeping'curve' andavoid any possible kinks, the coilspring 78 is connected between the clip 79 on the casing 72 and someconvenient point like on the spring shackle 66, asshown in Fig. 3.

Now, when the brake lever 69 is operated,- .the cable 71 is pulledthrough the center of. the casing 72 and the lever 43 is operated andthe brakes are applied.- The form of the casing 72 is maintainedandkinks do not occur because the reaction to the pull on the cable 71is resisted by the. series of blocks 73 backing up againsttheiranchorage in the bracket 7 When the roadwheels meet with rotativeresistance,and motive power is applied to the shaft 50; the pinion 53will start toclimb up around the inside of the ring gearf23j and carrywith it the entire housing 33 and its associated parts, the center ofthe shaft 50 moving forward and upward on the are of a] circle whoseradius is the distance between the center'of the s indle 19 and thecenter of the shaft 50. T is forward and upward 1 movement is impartedto the 'housingi'z 58; through the antifriction bearings 51 and;,57;:.-j

but the housing 58Iisrestraine from rotating bythe springs that arerigidly attached Therefore, the pward motion lifts, "I the'springs and hd and the forward q motion moves the 'chamis 'frame forward:

with respect to the wheel center which is delayed by the obstructionmentioned. This swinging motion continues until the moment of the loadahead of thevwheel center becomes sufllcient to roll the wheel over theobstruction, whereupon the casing 58 swings.

down again to its normal below the wheel center. he amount of prositlondirectly swinging travel is restrictediby the limit stop blocks 62 whichcome in contact with the cover 37. This prevents the swinging to attaina position where it Would lock and vehicle weight above u i reactionwith retarding resistance 3 devised a novel and useful construction mentwithout kinking.

cause trouble, During this swinging action the brake cable casing yieldsto the move- The reverse of the 'above described action occurs when thevehicle-is backing and an obstruction is encountered, and again the thesprings servesto assist the wheel oven the obstruction; It

will also be q'uite evident that when the brakes are applied with thevehicle moving in either direction, the casing 33, to which the brakesare anchoredfswings up around the wheel center in the proper directionto have the load on the springs'meet the brake It will now be apparentthat I have in a very simple combination: Obviously,

' spindle, an axle housing swi'ngable about the spindle. I

2. In combination, a wheel having spindle, a dust cap. for one end ofsaid said spindle, and means on said housing adapted to strike saidcapto preventr complete rotation of the axle housing about .the spindle,said means comprising rubber padded lugs extendingon oppositesides' ofthe axle housing.

- 3. In combination, a rciad wheel, a housing provided withanoif-setportion was ably supporting'said road wheel, said housing being bodilyswingable about the centerof said wheel, a second housing rotatablysupported onjthe first mentioned housing,

.a pair of oppositely extending lateral arms 7 i on said second housing,and' a-projectin part on. said off-set portion engageable wit said armsfor limiting said swinging movement of said first mentioned housing.

4 Incombination, a housing p rovlded with an ofi 'set' portion, hearingsin said oflfset portion, awheel spindle rotatably mounted in saidbearings, a wheel secured .to said spindle, an inwardly extending capclosing said off-set portion against entrance of dust into the same, asecond housing rotatably supported on the first mentioned;

housing, and laterally extending arms on said second housingengageable.with saidcap for limiting swinging movement of the first mentionedhousing aboutsaid spindle as -a center.

5. In combination, with'a vehicle chassis, a pair of housings,'onerotatably mounted around the other, the inner of. said'housings win,being provided with an off-set portion rotatably supporting a wheel andbeing bodily [swingable about the center thereof, brake mechanismcarried by the inner of said housings for retarding rotation 30f saidwheel, a load carrying spring connecting theouter of said housings withsaid frame,

a bearing cap on said off-set portion, a pair of laterally extending'arms on said outer housing engageable with said bearingcap for,limiting-swinging movement of .said inner hous ng inrespect to saidframe, and

a flexible connection extendingbetween said brake mechanism andsaidframe for applyswingablei portion of said inner housing in respect tosaid frame.

6. In combinatlon, a

on said wheel and means carried by, said housing provided wlth anoff-set portion, a road wheel rotatablysupported by said'oif-setportion, means.

ing said brake mechanism regardless of the housing co-operating torotate said wheel,

a second housing rotatably supported on the first mentioned housing,load carrying springs securedto said second housing, said first housingbeing bodily swingable about the center ofsaid wheel, brake mechanismcarried by the first-mentioned housing bod ily movable-therewith, aflexible connection for operating said-brake'mechanism, and a pair ofarms on'said second housing cooperating-with a part, carried by thefirst mentioned housing iorlimiting theswinging movement thereof. Q 1

DAVID F. DOMIZI.

